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88-515: The Eagle Lock Company was formed by the consolidation of several early nineteenth-century enterprises. The most notable began in 1832, when an English immigrant and locksmith opened a small lock manufacturer in Watertown, Connecticut. This was one of the first American lock works. After two years, his small shop and skills were acquired by the Terryville, Connecticut firm of Lewis, McKee and Company, which

176-490: A United States patent for a shelf clock mechanism. He introduced mass production to the art of clockmaking, which made clocks affordable for the average American citizen. Terry occupies an important place in the beginnings of the development of interchangeable parts manufacturing. Terry is considered the first person in American history to actually accomplish interchangeable parts with no government funding. Terry became one of

264-657: A battle in Fairfield , the Pequots sued for peace. Connecticut's original Charter in 1662 granted it all the land to the "South Sea"—that is, to the Pacific Ocean. The Hartford Treaty with the Dutch was signed on September 19, 1650, but never ratified by the British, stated the western boundary of Connecticut ran north from Greenwich Bay for a distance of 20 miles (32 km), "provided

352-402: A charter from Charles   II which united the settlements of Connecticut. Historically significant colonial settlements included Windsor (1633), Wethersfield (1634), Saybrook (1635), Hartford (1636), New Haven (1638), Fairfield (1639), Guilford (1639), Milford (1639), Stratford (1639), Farmington (1640), Stamford (1641), and New London (1646). The Pequot War marked

440-622: A clockmaker in East Hartford . Cheney specialized in the making of wooden clocks, which was fairly unusual at the time. The use of wooden components would show great influence in Terry's later career. Terry's apprenticeship to Burnap ended in 1792, and he quickly established himself as both a clockmaker and a repairer of watches in East Windsor. Terry relocated to Northbury Connecticut in 1793, and helped incorporate Plymouth, Connecticut in 1795. Terry

528-897: A database of U.S. customs records maintained online by the Mystic Seaport Museum , the largest being the 180-ton Patient Mary launched in New Haven in 1763. Connecticut's first lighthouse was constructed in 1760 at the mouth of the Thames River with the New London Harbor Lighthouse . Connecticut designated four delegates to the Second Continental Congress who signed the Declaration of Independence : Samuel Huntington , Roger Sherman , William Williams , and Oliver Wolcott . Connecticut's legislature authorized

616-542: A further expansion of industry, and an emphasis on increasing food production on the farms. Thousands of state, local, and volunteer groups mobilized for the war effort and were coordinated by the Connecticut State Council of Defense. Manufacturers wrestled with manpower shortages; Waterbury's American Brass and Manufacturing Company was running at half capacity, so the federal government agreed to furlough soldiers to work there. In 1919, J. Henry Roraback started

704-414: A large, clear dial in a wooden case about thirty inches tall and six inches deep. The upper part was the clock face, the lower part was either a mirror or a picture back-painted on glass. Despite the small size of the clocks compared with traditional long case clocks, Terry was able to provide sufficient power through gearing for the clock to run a full thirty hours before it needed to be rewound. Anticipating

792-505: A lawsuit in Litchfield district court against Seth Thomas for patent infringement. Judgement was in favor of Terry but it is unclear if he ever collected compensation. Contemporary historians believe the suit was staged between the two principals in order to dissuade others from competition, but it is unclear that this is correct since Terry, unlike Thomas, was the least interested in the business side of mass clock production. As one example of

880-600: A major fire. Heavy rainfall caused the Connecticut River to flood downtown Hartford and East Hartford. An estimated 50,000 trees fell onto roadways. The advent of lend-lease in support of Britain helped lift Connecticut from the Great Depression, with the state a major production center for weaponry and supplies used in World War   II . Connecticut manufactured 4.1% of total U.S. military armaments produced during

968-550: A major role in supplying the Union forces with weapons and supplies during the Civil War . The state furnished 55,000 men, formed into thirty full regiments of infantry, including two in the U.S. Colored Troops , with several Connecticut men becoming generals. The Navy attracted 250 officers and 2,100 men, and Glastonbury native Gideon Welles was Secretary of the Navy. James H. Ward of Hartford

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1056-645: A manufacturing center for arms, hardware, and timepieces, Connecticut, as with the rest of the region, had transitioned into an economy based on the financial, insurance, and real estate sectors; many multinational firms providing such services can be found concentrated in the state capital of Hartford and along the Gold Coast in Fairfield County . The name Connecticut is derived from the Mohegan-Pequot word that has been translated as "long tidal river" and "upon

1144-414: A new kind of clock, intended for mass production from machine-made parts that would come from water-powered machines ready to go into clocks without any additional hand cutting by skilled workmen. This would be a shelf clock, costing less than a tall clock. It would be made quickly and be easily repaired. Terry's further innovations included the design of an escapement with removable verge. This later became

1232-613: A pro-slavery position and included many Copperheads willing to let the South secede. The intensely fought 1863 election for governor was narrowly won by the Republicans. Connecticut's extensive industry, dense population, flat terrain, and wealth encouraged the construction of railroads starting in 1839. By 1840, 102 miles (164 km) of line were in operation, growing to 402 miles (647 km) in 1850 and 601 miles (967 km) in 1860. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , called

1320-434: A standard design feature of American clocks for the following century. The mass-produced wooden clocks manufactured from interchangeable parts that poured from Terry's factory beginning in 1814 were the world's first mass-produced machines made of interchangeable parts. As such he would mass market an affordable, complete cased-clock to American consumers. Terry's first clocks were offered in plain wooden box cases. Terry

1408-701: A successful product Terry had the foresight to patent his arrangement of clockworks. At least five patents were issued to him through the years up to 1825 in order to protect his invention. According to Diana Muir in Reflections in Bullough's Pond , within a few years, several hundred men worked in two dozen factories in the Naugatuck Valley and Bristol produced virtually identical Terry-style thirty-hour wooden clocks. Salesmen innovated such now-familiar marketing devices as installment-plan purchases and model changes of

1496-774: Is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States . It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capital is Hartford , and its most populous city is Bridgeport . Connecticut lies between the major hubs of New York City and Boston along the Northeast Corridor , where the New York-Newark Combined Statistical Area , which includes four of Connecticut's seven largest cities, extends into

1584-469: Is a one story brick production shed with gable roof on the corner of South Main Street and East Orchard Street; this building held such operations as packing, stocking and shipping, buffing and plating and pin-lock production. The second survivor is a two-story brick power house between East Orchard Street and South Eagle Street; the smokestack has been partially demolished. The five-story brick loft building on

1672-582: Is also credited with the design of the pillar and scroll case. In his autobiography, History of the American Clock Business for the Past Sixty Years and Life of Chauncey Jerome, Terry's employee and assistant Chauncey Jerome , later a great clockmaker and owner of the world's largest clock factory, mentions building the first pillar and scroll in Terry's workshop with the master's design and under his direction. The pillar and scroll case provided

1760-604: Is in the John Basmajian clock collection, in Altadena, California. Due to its rarity it is extremely valuable to collectors. Eli Terry Elementary School , located only a few miles from Terry's childhood home in South Windsor, Connecticut, is named for the clockmaker. His likeness adorns a sign at the school's entrance. Connecticut Connecticut ( / k ə ˈ n ɛ t ɪ k ə t / kə- NET -ik-ət )

1848-468: Is not known exactly when company first moved to this site, but its location on the Pequabuck River , which runs directly through the site, shows that the original operations were water powered. Today, only four of the buildings out of some 50 remain. Of the four remaining buildings, only one has not been altered, while the other three were disconnected and had floors removed. The first surviving building

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1936-460: The "Long Island Express" passed just west of New Haven and devastated the Connecticut shoreline between Old Saybrook and Stonington from the full force of wind and waves, even though they had partial protection by Long Island. The hurricane caused extensive damage to infrastructure, homes, and businesses. In New London, a 500-foot (150 m) sailing ship was driven into a warehouse complex, causing

2024-718: The Connecticut Light & Power Co. which became the state's dominant electric utility. In 1925, Frederick Rentschler spurred the creation of Pratt & Whitney in Hartford to develop engines for aircraft; the company became an important military supplier in World War   II and one of the three major manufacturers of jet engines in the world. On September 21, 1938, the most destructive storm in New England history struck eastern Connecticut, killing hundreds of people. The eye of

2112-660: The Hudson River Valley. Some of the men were veterans of the winter encampment at Valley Forge , Pennsylvania , the previous winter. Soldiers at the Redding camp endured supply shortages, cold temperatures, and significant snow, with some historians dubbing the encampment "Connecticut's Valley Forge". The state was also the launching site for a number of raids against Long Island orchestrated by Samuel Holden Parsons and Benjamin Tallmadge , and provided soldiers and material for

2200-492: The New Haven or "The Consolidated", became the dominant Connecticut railroad company after 1872. J. P. Morgan began financing the major New England railroads in the 1890s, dividing territory so that they would not compete. The New Haven purchased 50 smaller companies, including steamship lines, and built a network of light rails (electrified trolleys) that provided inter-urban transportation for all of southern New England. By 1912,

2288-760: The New Haven Colony ; both merged into the former by 1664. Connecticut's official nickname, the "Constitution State", refers to the Fundamental Orders adopted by the Connecticut Colony in 1639, which is considered by some to be the first written constitution in Western history. As one of the Thirteen Colonies that rejected British rule during the American Revolution , Connecticut was influential in

2376-589: The Susquehanna River and Delaware River named Westmoreland County . This resulted in the brief Pennamite-Yankee Wars with Pennsylvania . Yale College was established in 1701, providing Connecticut with an important institution to educate clergy and civil leaders. The Congregational church dominated religious life in the colony and, by extension, town affairs in many parts. With more than 600 miles (970 km) of coastline including along its navigable rivers, Connecticut developed during its colonial years

2464-495: The U.S. Revenue Cutter Service that would evolve into the U.S. Coast Guard, President Washington assigned Jonathan Maltbie as one of seven masters to enforce customs regulations, with Maltbie monitoring the southern New England coast with a 48-foot cutter sloop named Argus . In 1786, Connecticut ceded territory to the U.S. government that became part of the Northwest Territory . The state retained land extending across

2552-526: The " Knowledge Corridor ". Due to its geography, Connecticut has maintained a strong maritime tradition; the United States Coast Guard Academy is located in New London by the Thames River . The state is also associated with the aerospace industry through major companies Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky Aircraft headquartered in East Hartford and Stratford , respectively. Historically

2640-609: The 1636 murder of an English privateer and his crew, followed by the murder of a trader, colonists raided a Pequot village on Block Island . The Pequots laid siege to Saybrook Colony's garrison that autumn, then raided Wethersfield in the spring of 1637. Organizing a band of militia and allies from the Mohegan and Narragansett tribes, colonists declared war and attacked a Pequot village on the Mystic River . Death toll estimates range between 300-700 Pequots. After suffering another major loss at

2728-607: The 19th century. During the war, the British launched raids in Stonington and Essex and blockaded vessels in the Thames River. Derby native Isaac Hull became Connecticut's best-known naval figure to win renown during the conflict, as captain of the USS ; Constitution . The British blockade during the War of 1812 hurt exports and bolstered the influence of Federalists who opposed

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2816-541: The 19th century. In 1875, the first telephone exchange in the world was established in New Haven. When World War I broke out in 1914, Connecticut became a major supplier of weaponry to the U.S. military; by 1918, 80% of the state's industries were producing goods for the war effort. Remington Arms in Bridgeport produced half the small-arms cartridges used by the U.S. Army, with other major suppliers including Winchester in New Haven and Colt in Hartford. Connecticut

2904-547: The British got word of Continental Army supplies in Danbury , and they landed an expeditionary force of some 2,000 troops in Westport . This force then marched to Danbury and destroyed homes and much of the depot. Continental Army troops and militia led by General David Wooster and General Benedict Arnold engaged them on their return march at Ridgefield in 1777. For the winter of 1778–79, General George Washington decided to split

2992-492: The Continental Army into three divisions encircling New York City , where British General Sir Henry Clinton had taken up winter quarters. Major General Israel Putnam chose Redding as the winter encampment quarters for some 3,000 regulars and militia under his command. The Redding encampment allowed Putnam's soldiers to guard the replenished supply depot in Danbury and to support any operations along Long Island Sound and

3080-626: The Eli Terry Waterwheel), and Reservoir One (once filling up all of the land behind the congregational church and along Eagle Street, it was drained and removed after a fire in 1975). The factory had buildings where the Terryville Rite Aid currently is located. The remnants of the former Eagle Lock Company factory complex are located at the east and west corners of the intersection of South Main and Main Streets in Terryville, Connecticut. It

3168-584: The Long Island Sound between the towns of Old Saybrook and Old Lyme . The name of the river is in turn derived from anglicized spellings of Quinnetuket , a Mohegan-Pequot word for "long tidal river". Before the arrival of the first European settlers, the region was inhabited by various Algonquian tribes. In 1633, the Dutch West India Company established a small, short-lived settlement called House of Hope in Hartford. Half of Connecticut

3256-514: The New Haven operated over 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of track with 120,000 employees. As steam-powered passenger ships proliferated after the Civil War, Noank would produce the two largest built in Connecticut during the 19th century, with the 332-foot wooden steam paddle wheeler Rhode Island launched in 1882, and the 345-foot paddle wheeler Connecticut seven years later. Connecticut shipyards would launch more than 165 steam-powered vessels in

3344-598: The Pacific and Indian oceans. The first half of the 19th century saw as well a rapid rise in whaling, with New London emerging as one of the New England industry's three biggest home ports after Nantucket and New Bedford . The state was known for its political conservatism, typified by its Federalist party and the Yale College of Timothy Dwight . The foremost intellectuals were Dwight and Noah Webster , who compiled his great dictionary in New Haven. Religious tensions polarized

3432-476: The Porter Contract. Soon after 1802, Terry's production of wooden clocks grew considerably. Like other Connecticut clockmakers, Terry knew that apprentices could cheaply rough-cut wooden wheels for more skilled journeymen to shape precisely into clockworks, making clocks slightly more cheaply. And Terry was one of a number of Connecticut clockmakers who began to substitute water-powered machines for apprentices in

3520-467: The Thames River which eventually drew the reprisal from the British force led by Arnold. Connecticut ratified the U.S. Constitution on January 9, 1788, becoming the fifth state. The state prospered during the era following the American Revolution, as mills and textile factories were built and seaports flourished from trade and fisheries. After Congress established in 1790 the predecessor to

3608-814: The U.S. Senate from 1952 to 1963; his son George H. W. Bush and grandson George W. Bush both became presidents of the United States. In 1965, Connecticut ratified its current constitution , replacing the document that had served since 1818. In 1968, commercial operation began for the Connecticut Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Haddam ; in 1970, the Millstone Nuclear Power Station began operations in Waterford . In 1974, Connecticut elected Democratic Governor Ella T. Grasso , who became

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3696-525: The antecedents of a maritime tradition that would later produce booms in shipbuilding, marine transport, naval support, seafood production, and leisure boating. Historical records list the Tryall as the first vessel built in Connecticut Colony, in 1649 at a site on the Connecticut River in present-day Wethersfield. In the two decades leading up to 1776 and the American Revolution, Connecticut boatyards launched about 100 sloops , schooners and brigs according to

3784-518: The cases to induce consumers who already owned a functional clock to buy a more fashionable model. As noted Terry was granted many patents for his advances in clockmaking, most of which were immediately infringed upon by local competitors eager to participate in satisfying the demand for an affordable clock. Many competitors would note "patent clocks" on their label in order to prevent litigation. One lawsuit did develop as noted below. Terry also produced wooden-movement tower clocks, such as those found in

3872-444: The cases). According to historian Diana Muir writing in Reflections in Bullough's Pond , at that time a skilled craftsman could produce six to ten clocks per year. In the third year he produced 3,000 wooden clocks. He sold his manufactory to two of his assistants Seth Thomas and Silas Hoadley and retreated to his workshop to create the first machine in the world to be mass-produced using interchangeable parts . Terry envisioned

3960-811: The church and donated to the American Clock and Watch Museum in Bristol. Terry's third movement was donated to the Terryville Congregational Church in 1838. The movement was destroyed by fire in December of 1969. The movement from New Haven was removed from the steeple and reinstalled at the Plymouth Congregational Church in 1838, where it still runs today. The Plymouth tower clock movement is the only undisturbed original wooden gear tower clock in existence. Between 1808 and 1833, Terry focused

4048-596: The clock were made primarily of wood , or brass , depending on the requests of his customers. Brass was more commonly used for movements at the time, but it was also considerably more expensive and difficult to work with. In 1801, Terry was granted a patent on an equation clock . This was the first patent for a clock mechanism that was ever granted by the United States Patent Office . In 1795, Terry invented his first Milling machine to produce interchangeable parts . Terry crafted these milled movements until

4136-436: The development of original clock mechanisms. He also spent considerable time helping along the businesses of his sons. He continued with this small-scale clock production until his death on the last day of February 1852. His achievements place him in an unusual position in the history of clockmaking, leaving him as one of the last of the clock craftsmen, but also as the first of the true manufacturers. His shop represents one of

4224-564: The development of the federal government of the United States . In 1787, Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth , state delegates to the Constitutional Convention , proposed a compromise between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans; its bicameral structure for Congress , with a respectively proportional and equal representation of the states in the House of Representatives and Senate ,

4312-558: The early twentieth century, screw-machine products. The company experienced precipitous growth with the onset of the First World War , and even greater expansion during the Second World War , nearly doubling the number of employees to 800. With major defense contracts, it became an attractive takeover target for large firms looking to create subsidiary industries. In 1943, with the largest profit margins in company history, Eagle Lock

4400-432: The federal government, which brought it to its present boundaries (other than minor adjustments with Massachusetts). For the first time in 1800, Connecticut shipwrights launched more than 100 vessels in a single year. Over the following decade to the doorstep of renewed hostilities with Britain that sparked the War of 1812, Connecticut boatyards constructed close to 1,000 vessels, the most productive stretch of any decade in

4488-466: The first constitutional document in America. The Quinnipiack Colony was established by John Davenport , Theophilus Eaton , and others at New Haven in March 1638. The New Haven Colony had its own constitution called "The Fundamental Agreement of the New Haven Colony", signed on June 4, 1639. Each settlement was an independent political entity, established without official sanction of the English Crown. In 1662, Winthrop traveled to England and obtained

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4576-515: The first practical helicopter . The helicopter saw limited use in World War II, but future military production made Sikorsky Aircraft 's Stratford plant Connecticut's largest single manufacturing site by the start of the 21st century. Connecticut lost some wartime factories following the end of hostilities, but the state shared in a general post-war expansion that included the construction of highways and resulting in middle-class growth in suburban areas. Prescott Bush represented Connecticut in

4664-437: The first significant clash between colonists and Native Americans in New England. The Pequot had been aggressively extending their area of control at the expense of the Wampanoag to the north, Narragansett (east), Connecticut River Valley Algonquian tribes and the Mohegan (west), and Lenape Algonquian people (south). Meanwhile, the Pequot had been reacting with increasing aggression to colonial territorial expansion. In response to

4752-425: The first time that a major party presidential ticket included someone of the Jewish faith. Gore and Lieberman fell five votes short of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in the Electoral College. In the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 , 65 state residents were killed, mostly Fairfield County residents who were working in the World Trade Center . In 2004, Republican Governor John G. Rowland resigned during

4840-421: The first woman in any state to be elected governor without being the wife or widow of a previous governor. Connecticut's dependence on the defense industry posed an economic challenge at the end of the Cold War . The resulting budget crisis helped elect Lowell Weicker as governor on a third-party ticket in 1990. Weicker's remedy was a state income tax which proved effective in balancing the budget, but only for

4928-418: The following year. John Winthrop the Younger of Massachusetts received a commission to create Saybrook Colony at the mouth of the Connecticut River in 1635. A large group of Puritans arrived in 1636 from Massachusetts Bay Colony , led by Thomas Hooker , who established the Connecticut Colony at Hartford. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut were adopted in January 1639, and have been described as

5016-537: The frenzy at the time to copy Terry's designs, Reeves & Co made clocks in the United States to the Eli Terry design. These clocks faithfully copied the scrollwork and wooden movement of the original Eli Terry clocks. However, since the designs of these clocks were infringements of the Terry patents, Reeves & Co. were forced out of business and were also forced to destroy their stock of unsold clocks. Very few genuine Reeves & Co. clocks still exist. One excellent example of an operating Reeves & Co. shelf clock

5104-453: The last Connecticut clock shops (of which there were many) in which there was both pride in workmanship and a high level of personal skill and aptitude. Terry's brother Samuel (1774–1853) was also involved in the production of wooden-movement clocks, and for several years he worked as Eli's partner, manufacturing improved pillar and scroll clocks after his brother's design. Three of Terry's sons also became clockmakers. His son Eli Terry Jr.

5192-399: The long river", both referring to the Connecticut River . Evidence of human presence in the Connecticut region dates to as far back as 10,000 years ago. Stone tools were used for hunting, fishing, and woodworking. Semi-nomadic in lifestyle, these peoples moved seasonally to take advantage of various resources in the area. They shared languages based on Algonquian . The Connecticut region

5280-404: The majority of his time and effort on the production of standardized wooden clocks, which helped him accumulate a modest fortune. By 1833, he was sufficiently satisfied with his material success. At this point, he abandoned involvement in quantity production, and returned to clockmaking as the world had known it before his innovations, focusing on the production of a few high-end special clocks and

5368-531: The most accomplished mechanics in New England during the early part of the nineteenth century. The village of Terryville, Connecticut is named for his son, Eli Terry Jr. Terry was the son of Samuel and Huldah Terry, born in what is now South Windsor, Connecticut (at the time of Terry's birth, South Windsor was part of East Windsor, Connecticut ). He began his career as an apprentice under Daniel Burnap ("the forerunner of manufacturing"). It's also likely that he received limited instruction from Timothy Cheney,

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5456-434: The north side of South Main Street and the south bank of the Pequabuck River was constructed in 1916. To the southeast is a small one-story, storage shed built during the same period. On the north side of the Pequabuck is a one-story brick structure likely constructed during the 1940s. Eli Terry Eli Terry Sr. (April 13, 1772 – February 24, 1852) was an inventor and clockmaker in Connecticut . He received

5544-427: The northern part of present-day Ohio called the Connecticut Western Reserve . The Western Reserve section was settled largely by people from Connecticut, and they brought Connecticut place names to Ohio. Connecticut made agreements with Pennsylvania and New York which extinguished the land claims within those states' boundaries and created the Connecticut Panhandle . The state then ceded the Western Reserve in 1800 to

5632-449: The outfitting of six new regiments in 1775, in the wake of the clashes between British regulars and Massachusetts militia at Lexington and Concord. There were some 1,200 Connecticut troops on hand at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775. In 1775, David Bushnell invented the Turtle which the following year launched the first submarine attack in history, unsuccessfully against a British warship at anchor in New York Harbor. In 1777,

5720-431: The production of these rough-cut wheels. In 1802 or 1803, Terry purchased a mill to produce wooden clock wheels, which still had to be finished by hand by skilled journeymen clockmakers. He purchased a grain mill and used the water wheel and main shaft to run saws and lathes, which helped speed the production of parts. He later created jigs and fixtures to produce a large number of interchangeable clock parts. This allowed for

5808-603: The public provided much inspiration to other entrepreneurs in Connecticut and beyond. Immediately, Terry's former partners Seth Thomas and Silas Hoadley began making similar clocks. Others in the Bristol and Plymouth communities manufactured movements, cases or other clock parts for others to assemble and sell complete clocks in order to compete with Terry. Terry was forced to continually update his patents. Paradoxically his updated patents became very narrowly described and this enabled competitors to make slight changes to their design and evade patent infringement. In 1826-7, Eli Terry filed

5896-408: The rapid adjustment and assembly of clocks, freeing Terry from the task of fitting and modifying each individual piece of each clock. Using his own ingenuity and inventiveness, Terry was thus able to speedily cut wheels, pinions, and other important clock parts accurately and repetitively. In the year 1806, Terry signed the Porter contract to produce 4,000 wooden clock movements (other shops would make

5984-421: The said line come not within 10 miles [16 km] of Hudson River". This agreement was observed by both sides until war erupted between England and The Netherlands in 1652. Conflict continued concerning colonial limits until the Duke of York captured New Netherland in 1664. Most Colonial royal grants were for long east-west strips. Connecticut took its grant seriously and established a ninth county between

6072-538: The sale, and by the 1970s, faced foreclosure and bankruptcy. While there were attempts to purchase the manufacturing complex, none succeeded, and the company closed in 1975. The majority of the plant was demolished and the land redeveloped. After the company closed, the employees were honored for over 65 years of work in the town's 175th birthday. The Terryville factory had a manufacturing line of over 2000 different kinds of locks. The factory consisted of one main office building, and later in 1889 and 1905, extra work space

6160-439: The short-term. He did not run for a second term, in part because of this politically unpopular move. In 1992, initial construction was completed on Foxwoods Casino at the Mashantucket Pequots reservation in eastern Connecticut, which became the largest casino in the Western Hemisphere. Mohegan Sun followed four years later. In 2000, presidential candidate Al Gore chose Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate, marking

6248-405: The southwestern part of the state. Connecticut is the third-smallest state by area after Rhode Island and Delaware , and the 29th most populous with slightly more than 3.6 million residents as of 2020 , ranking it fourth among the most densely populated U.S. states . The state is named after the Connecticut River , the longest in New England, which roughly bisects the state and drains into

6336-724: The state, as the Congregational Church struggled to maintain traditional viewpoints, in alliance with the Federalists. The failure of the Hartford Convention in 1814 hurt the Federalist cause, with the Democratic-Republican Party gaining control in 1817. Connecticut had been governed under the " Fundamental Orders " since 1639, but the state adopted a new constitution in 1818. Connecticut manufacturers played

6424-511: The steeples of churches and meeting houses, one of which is still operational today in the town of Plymouth. Eli Terry made three tower clocks. His first, made entirely of wood, was donated to the Center Church on the Green at New Haven in 1825. The second movement was donated in 1828 to the Congregational Church of Plymouth Hollow (Later Thomaston Congregational Church). The movement was removed from

6512-725: The war effort, especially to Washington's army outside New York City. General William Tryon raided the Connecticut coast in July 1779, focusing on New Haven, Norwalk, and Fairfield. New London and Groton Heights were raided in September 1781 by Benedict Arnold, who had turned traitor to the British. At the outset of the American Revolution, the Continental Congress assigned Nathaniel Shaw Jr. of New London as its naval agent in charge of recruiting privateers to seize British vessels as opportunities presented, with nearly 50 operating out of

6600-427: The war, ranking ninth among the 48 states, with major factories including Colt for firearms, Pratt & Whitney for aircraft engines, Chance Vought for fighter planes, Hamilton Standard for propellers, and Electric Boat for submarines and PT boats. In Bridgeport, General Electric produced a significant new weapon to combat tanks: the bazooka . On May 13, 1940, Igor Sikorsky made an untethered flight of

6688-477: The war. The cessation of imports from Britain stimulated the construction of factories to manufacture textiles and machinery. Connecticut came to be recognized as a major center for manufacturing, due in part to the inventions of Eli Whitney and other early innovators of the Industrial Revolution . The war led to the development of fast clippers that helped extend the reach of New England merchants to

6776-501: Was added including two five-story buildings on either side of the office. The factory had a boarding house on Prospect Street for male employees, which was torn down in the early 1900s. A sales room was once operated on Chambers Street in New York City. The lock company housed four ponds including upper pond (now Terryville Fish and Game), middle pond (now privately owned), lower pond (no longer in existence but once held water to power

6864-589: Was adopted and remains to this day. In January 1788, Connecticut became the fifth state to ratify the Constitution . Connecticut is a developed and affluent state, performing well on the Human Development Index and on different metrics of income except for equality . It is home to a number of prestigious educational institutions, including Yale University in New Haven , as well as other liberal arts colleges and private boarding schools in and around

6952-466: Was also an important U.S. Navy supplier, with Electric Boat receiving orders for 85 submarines, Lake Torpedo Boat building more than 20 subs, and the Groton Iron Works building freighters. On June 21, 1916, the Navy made Groton the site for its East Coast submarine base and school. The state enthusiastically supported the American war effort in 1917 and 1918 with large purchases of war bonds,

7040-493: Was appointed the town Sealer of Weights and Measures. His first clock shop was attached to his dwelling. Terry boarded girls like Candace Roberts to work in his shop painting clock dials. His second shop was considered the first water powered clock shop in the United States, and was built twenty feet square over Niagara Brook, which flowed through his property. Some of his earliest clocks were fitted with silvered brass dials , which were engraved for him by Burnap. The movements of

7128-512: Was born to Samuel and Huldah Burnham at East Windsor. His wife was Eunice Warner (Married March 12, 1795), and they had several children including: Anne (born 1796), Eli (born 1799), Henry (born 1801), James (born 1803), Silas Burnham (born 1807), Sarah Warner (born 1809), Huldah (born 1811), and George (born 1815). After Eunice Warner's death in 1839, he married Harriet A. Pond, and they had two children, one named Stephen. Eli Terry's success in mass-producing and selling an affordable shelf clock for

7216-836: Was inhabited by multiple Native American tribes which can be grouped into the Nipmuc , the Sequin or "River Indians" (which included the Tunxis , Schaghticoke , Podunk , Wangunk , Hammonasset , and Quinnipiac ), the Mattabesec or "Wappinger Confederacy" and the Pequot-Mohegan . Some of these groups still reside in Connecticut, including the Mohegans , the Pequots , and the Paugusetts . Dutchman Adriaen Block

7304-646: Was initially claimed by the Dutch colony New Netherland , which included much of the land between the Connecticut and Delaware Rivers, although the first major settlements were established by the English around the same time. Thomas Hooker led a band of followers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony to form the Connecticut Colony , while other settlers from Massachusetts founded the Saybrook Colony and

7392-676: Was run by Eli Terry, son of the clock maker . In 1841, after Eli Terry's death, the business was bought by the Lewis and Gaylord Company, and then consolidated in 1854 with the James Terry Company (a maker of carpet bag frames) as the Eagle Lock Company. Production grew so much that, by the 1890s, the firm was one of the largest trunk lock manufacturers in the world, employing nearly 500 workers. Products included trunk and cabinet locks, as well as high quality security-grade padlocks, and, in

7480-573: Was sold to F. Bowser Inc., of Fort Wayne, Indiana , however it continued to operate under its original name and location in Terryville, Connecticut. After the War, the board of Eagle Lock deliberated, but never initiated, a move to the southeastern United States for tax purposes. The company’s financial situation began to deteriorate and the company was sold in the 1960s to the Delaware firm of Penn-Akron Corporation. The Eagle Lock Company continued to flounder after

7568-626: Was the first European explorer in Connecticut. He explored the region in 1614. Dutch fur traders then sailed up the Connecticut River , calling it Versche Rivier ("Fresh River") and building a fort at Dutch Point in Hartford, which they named "House of Hope" ( Dutch : Huis van Hoop ). The Connecticut Colony originally consisted of several smaller settlements in Windsor, Wethersfield, Saybrook, Hartford, and New Haven. The first English settlers came in 1633 and settled at Windsor, then at Wethersfield

7656-472: Was the first U.S. Naval Officer killed in the Civil War. Connecticut casualties included 2,088 killed in combat, 2,801 dying from disease, and 689 dying in Confederate prison camps. A surge of national unity in 1861 brought thousands flocking to the colors from every town and city. However, as the war became a crusade to end slavery, many Democrats (especially Irish Catholics) pulled back. The Democrats took

7744-601: Was the most notable, as the village of Terryville in Plymouth, Connecticut was named after him; he purchased the lock-making equipment that would eventually be used to form Eagle Lock Company, which for a long time was Terryville's biggest employer. Silas B. Terry had many financial difficulties in his time, but was eventually a founding member of the Terry Clock Company . Henry Terry, took over Eli Terry Sr's clock shop at "Terry's Bridge", after his retirement. Eli Terry

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